Footrest



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FOOTREST Filed Dec. 3, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FRITZ bane m INVENTOR.

BY M M M K Ma/Lis United States Patent 3,132,835 FOOTREST Fritz Drahert,Marienstrasse 37, Minden,

- Westphalia, Germany Filed Dec. 3, 1962, Ser. No. 241,918 2 Claims.(Cl. 248-397) temporary preference of the user.

The invention is based on the recognition and elimination of thisshortcoming. According to the invention, a foot support is pivotallyconnected to a framework with the aid of a pin or pivot provided on eachside face of the support, so that the support is freely rotatable andusable on either side. When the user wishes to change his leg position,which requires a change in the rotational position of the foot support,then this occurs quite automatically according to this invention andwithout the expenditure of any special effort. Cramps and interruptionsin blood circulation in the legs of the user due to faulty footrestpositioning are thereby eliminated.

In a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided anarrangement in which the foot support can be locked in any of severaldifferent rotational positions. Advantageously, this arrangementcomprises a springloaded locking pin or plug which can be manuallyoperated by means of a knob or handle. The locking pin extends into oneof the openings which are provided in the corresponding side surface ofthe foot support.

In practice there is often the need for adjusting the height of thefootrest so as to fit it to the leg length of the user. The presentinvention meets this need by providing in the framework several holesadapted to receive pins or pivots with which the foot support isprovided. In such an arrangement, the pin is connected with the footsupport by means of a resilient member so that the foot support can beaxially displaced and thus released from the frame. Advantageously, theresilient member can be a compression spring.

The invention is further described with reference to the attacheddrawing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of the novel footrest;

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the footrest;

FIG. 3 shows an enlarged partial section through the locking mechanismof the footrest;

FIG. 4 shows a partial section through a further em' so as to be freelyrotatable thereon and usable on either side.

In the preferred embodiment as shown in the drawing, the framework 3 isfashioned from a tube formed in a roof-like shape, the ends of theframework being provided with tips 4 or casters to grip but protect thefloor.

The horizontal tube portion of framework 3 which Patented May 12, 1964rests on the floor .may be coated with a protective cover 5 of plasticor rubber or the like. The foot support 1 is inade in such shape andsize that in the case of high ladies shoes, the heel extends over footsupport 1 so that it does not touch the foot support. In this fashion,the support of the legs by the entire shoe or by the sole as such isavoided.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of foot support 1 which is made of a resilientand abrasion resistant material such as rubber. The top and bottom footsupporting surfaces 6 and 7 of foot support 1 are constructed indifferent shapes. As shown in FIG. 2, the top surface 6 of the supportisconvex or curved and the bottom surface 7 is more or less flat.- Sincethe support is freely pivotally mounted on the framework 3 by pins 2 and15 received in apertures 17, the support may be utilized with either thetop 6 or bottom 7 surface contacting the foot. In this manner, thesupport may provide a surface that is comfortable'for users having shoeswith either shaped or flat soles.

In actual use, there is sometimes a need for locking the foot support 1in a specific position whereas the foot support otherwise pivots freely.This need is met by the locking mechanism shown in FIG. 3. This consistsessentially of a locking pin 8 which is slidably positioned in a housingor cylinder 10 which is connected with frame 3, and can be operated bymeans of handle or knob 11. The locking pin is spring loaded by means ofcompression spring 9, the purpose of which is to urge the locking pininto a locked position in one of the offset bores 18 provided in theside or longitudinal end of the support memher.

When it is desired to release the lock, the locking pin 8 is pulledoutward by means of knob 11. In order to block the effect of compressionspring 9 and hold the pin in a retracted position, a holding pin 12 isprovided. This holding pin is positioned in a longitudinal slot 13 inhousing 10 and is connected to the locking pin 8. To hold the lockingpin 8 in the retracted position, knob 11 is pulled outwardly and rotatedfrom the position shown in FIG. 3, thereby seating the holding pin 12 onthe face of housing 10.

In order to adjust the position of foot support 1 according to thelength of the legs of the user, holes 14 are provided in frame 3 for thepurpose of receiving pins 2 and 15. In this arrangement one of the pins15 is received in a central bore 19 of support member 1. This centralbore 19 is further provided with a compression spring 16, in such amanner that foot support 1 can be released from frame 3 by moving itaxially against the force of the spring, thus permitting a change inelevation of the foot support (FIGS. 4-6).

Following this, pin 15 is put in another hole 14 of frame 3 and the footsupport moved axially against the force of the spring 16 until the otherpin 2 is located opposite the appropriate hole of frame 3. Then the footsupport 1 is released so that the force of the spring forces pin 2 intothe proper hole of frame 3.

As is apparent, the locking pin mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3, may beadvantageously utilized whether or not the footrest incorporates thevertical adjustment feature as shown in FIGS. 4-7.

Iclaim:

l. A footrest comprising a frame assembly, a support member having topand bottom faces positioned within Said frame assembly, said supportmember being pivotally connected to said frame assembly by connectingmeans so that either face of said support member may be positioned tosupport the feet of the user, said frame assembly comprising twoinverted V-shaped end members each having an apex aperture near the apexthereof, said end members being connected together by a horizontallyextending member, said connecting means including pin means to pivotallyconnect the support member to said V-shaped members by extending intosaid apex apertures therein, both of said end members being providedwith a plurality of apertures therethrough below said apex apertures,said support member including a central bore in one longitudinal endthereof, a spring positioned within said central bore, said pin meansincluding a pin assembly slidably positioned and retained in andprojecting from said central bore, and said pin assembly being urged toa position projecting from said central bore by said spring whereby saidsupport member may be axially displaced relative to said frame assemblyto permit disconnection therefrom and repositioning thereon at anotherelevation.

2. A footrest according to claim 1 wherein said support member isfurther provided with at least one ofiset bore in one longitudinal endthereof, said bore being offset from the longitudinal axis of saidsupport member, said connecting means including a locking pin assemblyreceived in one of said plurality of apertures and extending into saidoffset bore in said support member to thereby lock the same in onerotational position relative to said frame assembly, a cylinder meanspositioned coaxially with said one of said plurality of apertures, acylinder spring positioned in said cylinder means, said locking pinassembly being slidably positioned and retained in and projecting fromsaid cylinder means, said locking pin assembly being urged toward saidofiset bore in said support member by said cylinder spring, said lockingpin assembly including holding means to hold said assembly in a positionretracted from said ofiset bore and thereby permit free rotation of thesupport member relative to the frame assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,035,470 Roberts Aug. 13, 1912 1,337,919 Kingsford Apr. 20, 19201,462,192 Clinton ..4 July 17, 1923 2,462,321 Holmes Feb. 22, 19492,541,664 Pollock Feb. 13, 1951 2,622,659 Stelmack Dec. 23, 19522,644,688 Roberge July 7, 1953

1. A FOOTREST COMPRISING A FRAME ASSEMBLY, A SUPPORT MEMBER HAVING TOPAND BOTTOM FACES POSITIONED WITHIN SAID FRAME ASSEMBLY, SAID SUPPORTMEMBER BEING PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID FRAME ASSEMBLY BY CONNECTINGMEANS SO THAT EITHER FACE OF SAID SUPPORT MEMBER MAY BE POSITIONED TOSUPPORT THE FEET OF THE USER, SAID FRAME ASSEMBLY COMPRISING TWOINVERTED V-SHAPED END MEMBERS EACH HAVING AN APEX APERTURE NEAR THE APEXTHEREOF, SAID END MEMBERS BEING CONNECTED TOGETHER BY A HORIZONTALLYEXTENDING MEMBER, SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDING PIN MEANS TO PIVOTALLYCONNECT THE SUPPORT MEMBER TO SAID V-SHAPED MEMBERS BY EXTENDING INTOSAID APEX APERTURES THEREIN, BOTH OF SAID END MEMBERS BEING PROVIDEDWITH A PLURALITY OF APERTURES THERETHROUGH BELOW SAID APEX APERTURES,SAID SUPPORT MEMBER INCLUDING A CENTRAL BORE IN ONE LONGITUDINAL ENDTHEREOF, A SPRING POSITIONED WITHIN SAID CENTRAL BORE, SAID PIN MEANSINCLUDING A PIN ASSEMBLY SLIDABLY POSITIONED AND RETAINED IN ANDPROJECTING FROM SAID CENTRAL BORE, AND SAID PIN ASSEMBLY BEING URGED TOA POSITION PROJECTING FROM SAID CENTRAL BORE BY SAID SPRING WHEREBY SAIDSUPPORT MEMBER MAY BE AXIALLY DISPLACED RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME ASSEMBLYTO PERMIT DISCONNECTION THEREFROM AND REPOSITIONING THEREON AT ANOTHERELEVATION.